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Adam’s big day at EA

Reigning UK champion and FIFA Interactive World Cup 2011 semi-finalist Adam Winster enjoyed an incredible adventure this week. Adam was flown to Vancouver, Canada for a visit to the EA SPORTS™ headquarters - the birthplace of the virtual football game that he has devoted so much time and energy to.

While in Vancouver, the two-time FIWC grand finalist enjoyed a variety of local attractions such as the Capilano Suspension Bridge, Grouse Mountain and downtown Vancouver. There was no overshadowing the main event however. On a daylong visit to the EA SPORTS headquarters Adam was able to visit each and every department involved with the production of the EA SPORTS FIFA series. We caught up with Adam on his final day in Vancouver. While enjoying breakfast at a restaurant in beautiful Yaletown, Adam reflected on his trip to Canada’s west coast.

FIFA.com: So Adam, what were your highlights of your visit to EA SPORTS?Adam: It was good to meet the developers and get to play them. It was good to ask a few questions about how they make the game and to see the amount of effort that they put into it. It’s incredible. It was really cool to see how they capture all the animations for the game. The best bit was probably beating them all at FIFA12 though.

How many EA staff members did you play FIFA12 against?
I played five matches at EA. I won all 5 games and conceded only one goal. I think the developers were quite excited to play against me. They might make the game but they can’t beat me!

What was the atmosphere like at EA headquarters?
They’ve got football pitches, basketball courts. They’ve got dogs in the office. You’re allowed to take your dog there! It’s all very relaxed. It’s a very calm atmosphere. It must be pretty cool to work there. They have loads of football shirts up on the ceiling and lots of flags and football boots.

Tell us a little about the Motion Capture Studio?
The studio was in a massive black room with red lights everywhere. There were a lot of advanced computers and programs all over the place. They showed us the actual process that they use to capture the motions of players and how they use all these different turfs, depending on what type of game they’re capturing.

Did your look behind the scenes at EA surprise you at all?
I know a lot more about how the game works now, but nothing that will really help me to improve my game necessarily. It’s just really cool to get a deeper understanding of the process and what goes into the game. I’ve put a lot of hours into this game, getting to see everyone who makes it was pretty cool. Beating them was also very good.

How have you found your visit to Vancouver?
It’s very nice, it’s very different to what you’d see in a major city in the UK. It’s very pretty here.

Growing up in Preston did you ever imagine playing a football-based video game would take you around the world to places like Los Angeles, Barcelona and Vancouver?
When I first started back in FIFA08 I didn’t have a clue about any of this. Then I slowly started to find out about it all. It’s amazing when you consider the opportunities that you get from the FIFA Interactive World Cup.

How is your FIWC12 campaign progressing? Are you getting any closer to a Grand Final seat? There are still four online seasons and several live qualification events in which to secure a place at the FIWC12 Grand Final.